Indigenous Cosmopolitanism and Its Discontents: Decolonization and Democracy in Leslie Marmon Silko's Gardens in the Dunes.

This article analyzes Leslie Marmon Silko’s novels *Almanac of the Dead* (1991) and *Gardens in the Dunes* (1999) to explore her engagement with Indigenous sovereignty, settler colonialism, and liberal democracy. It argues that *Gardens in the Dunes* uses the Western genre allegorically to critique liberal nationalism and capitalism, presenting an Indigenous cosmopolitanism that challenges both settler colonial structures and the limitations of US liberalism’s democratic ideals. The article situates Silko’s work within broader debates on Indigenous resistance, highlighting her rejection of electoral politics under current US structures while affirming a commitment to universal liberatory values betrayed by racial capitalism. Ultimately, Silko’s novels articulate a vision of decolonization that transcends ethnonationalism and liberal multiculturalism, envisioning relational sovereignties and democratic possibilities beyond settler colonial frameworks.